The mother of a Nevada inmate who died after being beaten by corrections officers has filed a lawsuit accusing prison staff of conspiring with the coroner's office in Las Vegas to cover up the death. The lawsuit alleges that Christian Walker was brutally assaulted by guards at High Desert State Prison and left to die. The medical examiner initially ruled his death as natural, but a forensic pathology expert has recommended a re-evaluation.
Walker, who had spent over two decades behind bars for second-degree murder, was described as a man of faith who avoided trouble in prison. He was transferred to High Desert State Prison, where he was reportedly assaulted with batons and pepper spray, leading to severe injuries. Despite being taken to a hospital and later back to the prison, he was found dead the next morning in his cell.
The lawsuit accuses the corrections department of cruel and unusual punishment, negligence by guards and medical staff, and deliberate indifference by the coroner's office. The timeline of events presented in the lawsuit differs from the dates listed in Walker's autopsy report, and the law firm representing the family has faced challenges in obtaining security footage and records from the corrections department.
This case sheds light on a larger pattern of excessive force within Nevada's prison system and seeks justice not only for Christian Walker but for all those impacted by similar incidents. The defendants, including the corrections department, prison staff, and the coroner's office, have yet to comment on the lawsuit.
